


After The Storm

by amazedrachel



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kiara (Outer Banks) Needs a Hug, M/M, Post-Outer Banks Season 1, Slow Burn, jj gets a dog, what about it?, yes my entire friend group is in love with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:07:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amazedrachel/pseuds/amazedrachel
Summary: The Poughs are trying to figure out how to live without John B and Sarah. Trouble arises when the Poughs drift apart. Pope gets an internship, Kie is sprawling after losing her two best friends, and JJ is trying to keep everything together.John B's mom comes back into the fold. Super slow burn JJ/Pope and Kie/OC.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks), Kiara (Outer Banks)/Original Character(s), Sarah Cameron/John B. Routledge
Comments: 10
Kudos: 62





	1. goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The poughs say goodbye to John B.

Chapter One. Goodbye.

“Light it up,” Pope said. He held a white candle up to JJ’s lighter.

The sun was slowly setting, an assortment of golds, purples and pinks filled the dusk sky. The crickets chirped. Lighting bugs flew around the air. There was a hazy outline of the full moon, covered by lavender coloured clouds.  
The last three remaining Poughs sat on John B’s deck. JJ was lighting the rest of the candles that he had stolen from the convenience store, he hadn’t told the other poughs where he had gotten them. Kie had dark circles underneath her brown eyes. She was almost finished making the prye, wrapping twine around sticks. There was a photo of John B and Sarah, smiling at the camera. Kie was wearing a black crop top and black jean shorts. Pope had on a nice black button-down and black slacks. JJ has struggled to find something suitable to wear but managed to find a black-ish jumpsuit, though some would say it’s more blue.  
“I’m finished,” Kie said. She held up the finished prye.  
“Alexa, play in the arms of an angel,” JJ said,  
“We don’t have an Alexa,” Pope said.  
“I know dumbass, you’re the Alexa,” JJ said. He grabbed Pope’s phone from him and started playing the song. JJ took the prye from Kie and lit the pyre on fire. He carefully handed it back to Kie who put it on the water.  
“Can someone say something?” Kie asked, holding back tears.

Pope scooted over to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Vikings only had ship burials for great Viking warriors.”  
Kie sighed. She looked at JJ and frowned. JJ shrugged, Pope was just saying Pope things.  
“Prye is greek for fire,” Pope said. He looked at JJ and mouthed help.  
JJ took off his red hat and held it to his chest. “John B was more than a friend to us. He was a brother. He was the best bro anyone could ask for. Do you guys know how we met?”  
Pope and Kie shook their heads.  
“It was third grade, right after my mom had dipped. I punched another kid in the face at recess, I don’t remember why. John B had come over to me and pulled me away. He told me that his mom had left when he was three and that he knew how it felt. Then he said I was gonna end up in jail or dead by the time I was twenty if I kept on acting like an asshole.”  
The song switched From The Arms of an Angel to Low by Flo Rida. They all laughed, and then stopped because their friends were dead and the grief was inescapable. John B was gone. What the hell was JJ going to do?  
“Pope?” JJ asked.  
“Shit, sorry,” Pope said. He fumbled with his phone, almost dropping it into the sound, finally he changed the song back.  
“Anyway, John B was a king and things are never gonna be the same without him.” JJ grabbed a beer from the cooler and cracked it open. He handed two to Pope and Kie. “A toast to John B.”  
“And, Sarah,” Kie added.  
“And, Sarah.” JJ took a sip and then poured some beer into the sounds. “Pour one out for our brother.”  
Kie glared at JJ.  
“And,...sister? Bro? I don’t know what to call her,” JJ said.  
“Our close friend,” Kie said. “They’ll be missed.”  
JJ looked back to the prye it was slowly sinking into the water. “Shit, guys?” JJ pointed out to the sound. Kie and Pope looked.  
“No, no, no. It can’t be sinking,” Kie said. She got up, but the pyre was already half submerged.  
“Someone jump in and get it!  
“I’m wearing my nice clothes,” Pope said.  
Kie sighed and jumped off the pier she swam over to grab the pyre but it had already completely sunk. Kie took a breath and went underwater. She was down there for a few seconds and then came back up, but without the pyre.  
“It’s already at the bottom!” Kie called. She went under again. She came back up, and swam back to the pier. Pope helped pull her up.  
“I couldn’t get it,” Kie said.  
“That’s okay,” JJ said.  
Kie leaned into Pope’s arms, he rubbed her back. JJ averted his eyes. He had wanted to bring up Pope and Kie dating, and how it changed their group dynamic. A group that had already been changed by the addition of Sarah, and then then the loss of John B and Sarah. JJ’s friend group was changing rapidly and he was terrified he’d get left in the lurch. How long would it take for Pope and Kie to just want to hang out by themselves? JJ wasn’t keen on being a third wheel. He’d have to get some new friends, and that would be hard because he was a bit of an asshole who had burned far too many bridges for that.  
JJ took a long sip of his beer and scratched his nose. “We should have like a catchphrase.”  
“A catchphrase?” Pope said. “What like, ‘To the batmobile!’?”  
“No like, you know, in high school musical?” JJ asked.  
“Ah, yes, the pinnacle of cinema,” Pope replied.  
“Shut up,” JJ said. “Walking dictionary.”  
Pope always had to use big ass words, and he knew that JJ didn’t know exactly what it meant. JJ at least always seemed to get the vibe of the wrong, if not the exact meaning.  
“High School Musical one, two, or three?” Kie asked. “One is the best, but three has the best songs.”  
“All of them,” JJ said. “You know how they say, ‘What are we? Wildcats!’”  
“So, you want us to say, what are we! Poughs!” Pope asked. “That’s stupid.”  
“It’s not stupid!” JJ said.  
Pope rolled his eyes. “It’s stupid.”  
“I’m sorry, did you want it to be nerdier for you, Pope?” JJ asked.  
Kie jumped up. “John B and Sarah are dead, and you guys are talking about catchphrases?” Kie asked. “I can't believe you two!”  
“Kie,” Pope sighed.  
Kie started walking up the path to John B’s house, her arms crossed across her chest.  
“Kie, come on,” JJ said.  
Kie spun around, tears rolled down her cheeks. “What are we supposed to do now? They’re gone, there fucking gone. John B and Sarah are dead. They're never gonna go to college, or get married, or have kids. We’ll never get to surf together again. John B wasn’t some Viking warrior he was an orphaned teenage boy with too much on his plate. Why did we look for the gold at all?”  
“Bold of you to think that John B was going to go to college,” JJ said.  
Kie glared at him.”Shut the hell up, JJ.”  
Pope ran over and hugged Kie. She rested her head on his shoulder. JJ kicked the ground with his boot. Why was he making everything so much harder for himself?  
“We can’t bring them back, but we can remember them. We won’t forget them,” Pope said. “How could we have known that this is how it would end.”  
“Of course, we won’t forget them,” JJ said, walking over to them. “John B and Sarah are always gonna be right here.” JJ pounded the skin above his heart. He rubbed his eyes, he didn’t want to cry. But, a few tears leaked out.  
Pope and Kie opened the hug and invited JJ in. He hugged them, they crushed against each other. Like, if they could just hold on to each other everything would be okay. They were his family.  
“You always said that we had nothing to lose but look where the hell we are now,” Kie said.  
“Fine, I was wrong,” JJ said.  
“Can we please not fight?” Pope asked.  
JJ and Kie exchanged a heated glance. A truce, for now.  
JJ held onto them like a drowning man holds onto a liferaft, but deep in his gut JJ already knew he was too far from shore to ever see land again.


	2. Old Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the one where JJ gets a dog and there's more crying!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! What should I name the dog lol

JJ had been living at John B’s place. He’d stay there till someone came and kicked him out. The power at John B’s place had never come back on when the rest of the islands did. John B must have forgotten to pay the bill. It didn’t matter when JJ had the generator, but he’d rather use it for the hot tub than the fridge.   
He had gotten the candles from the dock and blew most of them out. He placed a few around the hot tub and had gotten in. He took a drag of his blunt and closed his eyes.   
The Outer Banks had been quiet for a while. John B and Sarah were declared dead. JJ hadn’t talked to his Dad in two weeks. Kie and Pope were still dating. JJ still hadn’t paid his restitution, Officer Shoupe suggested that JJ work it off, now JJ had to do manual labour for the Thorntons. Pope was trying to get his scholarship back, but he had managed to snag an internship at Kildare Weekly. Everything was getting back to some sort of normalcy.   
JJ opened his eyes when he heard scratching. “Hello?”   
He got out of the hot tub and grabbed his gun, which had been laying on the table next to him.  
“Who's there?” JJ called.  
JJ walked down the porch steps and walked around the side of the house. An animal was trying the trash cans.   
“Hey, scat!” JJ said.  
The animal turned around. It was the ugliest dog JJ had ever seen. He loved it immediately. It was some sort of mutt, mid-sized with a small snout and large brown eyes. It had orange, white, and black, tri-coloured fur. The dog was missing half of a floppy ear and it’s left paw.   
It growled at him, showing off yellow teeth.  
“It’s alright,” JJ said. He put away the gun and crouched down. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”  
The dog stared at him.   
“Are you hungry?” JJ asked. He slowly backed away and went to grab some leftover chicken that Kie had brought over earlier. He raced back outside. The dog was still there. JJ threw the chicken, and the dog just stared at it.  
“Go on, eat it.”  
JJ had always wanted a dog. His mom was allergic but then after she had left, JJ asked again and his dad always laughed at him. JJ always preferred the laughing over anything else Luke Maybank would do. JJ could take the laughing, people had always laughed at him his whole life. At school, when he couldn’t read a page, or figure out a math problem, he’d make a joke. His teacher would yell at him or send him to the principle, but at least no one called him stupid. JJ used humour like armour. He could forever coast on deflection and denial.   
The dog started sniffing the ground, taking a few steps towards the chicken.   
“There you go, pupper,” JJ said, in the most calming voice he could muster.  
The dog picked up the chicken and started chowing down.   
It probably didn’t have an owner, its bones were showing, it probably hadn’t had a home in a long time. JJ knew that feeling.   
The dog finished the chicken and starred at JJ.   
“I have more food if you want some,” JJ said. He got up and walked towards the house. He whistled. “Come on, boy.”  
The dog followed him.   
-  
The dog ate three pieces of bread and had camped out on the couch. It was licking its paw. Thankfully. it didn’t seem to have fleas and was already fixed. It had to have an owner at some point.  
JJ had fallen asleep with the dog curled up next to him.   
-  
The dog was barking. The door opened and JJ jumped out of bed.   
“Hello?” A woman's voice called.   
The dog ducked under the bed with a whimper.  
“Well, you’re not a guard dog then,” JJ laughed.  
With his hand on his gun, JJ crept into the hallway. Jane Rutledge was standing in the doorway. She was short with a soft face, and chestnut brown hair in a low ponytail. She was wearing a large t-shirt and blue jean shorts. JJ had seen a picture of her before, John B had shown JJ his parents wedding photo. Jane was a long younger then, her eyes were bright, she had a wide smile. Standing in front of JJ she had dark circles underneath her eyes, her face was gaunt, she had wrinkles on her forehead.   
JJ thought, she looks like a mom.   
“What are you doing here?” Jane asked.  
“I could ask you the same thing,” JJ said. He crossed his arms. “You’re just showing up when John B’s dead.”  
Jane frowned. “You were one of his friends, right? Pope or JJ?”  
“JJ.”  
“Oh, the redneck,” Jane said and then froze. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.”  
JJ shrugged. One of his best qualities was that he was self-aware. “Who told you that?”  
“Office Shoupe,” Jane said. “He was very kind to me.”   
Jane took a step into the room. “John B’s uncle is coming soon too, and we’re gonna figure out what to do about all this.”  
“You mean the house?” JJ asked.  
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Honey, are you living here?”  
“No, I just like staying here. It helps me feel close to him,” JJ lied. Well, it wasn’t totally a lie.   
“If there’s anything that you want, feel free to take it,” Jane said. She looked around the living room. “There are so many things in this house that I don’t want to deal with.”  
“The hot tub outside is mine, I have the receipt,” JJ said.  
“Alright, move it somewhere else, when you can.” Jane took a step and picked up a photo of Big John and John B. She blinked a few times and put it down.   
“I can help you get rid of some stuff,” JJ said.   
“Alright, thank you, son,” Jane said.  
JJ glared at her. Jane gazed back at him with a frown. She had John B’s hazel eyes, or really John B had her’s. Emphasis on the had. JJ stared into Jane’s eyes, he wanted to scream.   
“You left! You were gone! John B is dead, don't you care? Why did you leave? How could you do that to him? Why didn’t you come back when Big John died? How could you just leave?”  
JJ was yelling at Jane, but he was yelling at John B, and he was also yelling at his own mom. He fell to the floor, his knees pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around them.   
Mom’s were supposed to stick around, that was the stereotype, right? Mom’s stayed Dad’s left. Or, if a mom skipped town, they took their kid with them.   
“Oh, sweetheart,” Jane said. She kneeled down next to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know that I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I’m so sorry you lost your friend.”  
“Friends,” JJ said, for Kie because she would have wanted him to say it.  
“Right, John B and the Cameron girl,” Jane said. “I do have some questions about that.”  
Another voice yelled out. “Mom! Did you see the hot tub?”


	3. Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, in this chapter we meet my oc. Hope you guys like her!

Harper Shoupe sat on the ferry. A kid was arguing with his mother, an older couple was trying to get a photo of themselves, but the man kept on putting his thumb over the phone camera.  
Harper took out her phone and looked at the last few texts with her dad. She hadn't seen him in almost a year.   
Harper used to live in the Outer Banks, but her parents divorced when she was ten, and her mom moved to New York. Harper moved with her. She used to go down to the OBX every summer. Last year she went on vacation with her boyfriend's family, and then she had an arts camp. They weren’t able to find a time, so she didn’t visit at all.   
The ferry docked, and Harper walked onto the pier, her eye’s searching the crowd for her dad. She spotted him right away, he was standing by his cop car, looking down at his phone.   
Harper walked over and hugged her dad. “I’m sorry about Peterkin.”  
“Me too,” Shoupe said. He hugged her tighter.   
The fact that John B shot Peterkin rattled around in Harper’s mind. John B was a surfer bro, he didn’t seem like a murderer. Now, he was dead, and Sarah Cameron was too. Harper had missed everything.   
They got into the car and Shoupe drove towards his home.  
“That’s a beautiful sunset,” Shoupe said, nodding towards the window.  
Harper took out her phone to take a few photos.   
Peterkin's funeral was the next day. Everyone on the island would probably go. Shoupe would probably give a speech. That's' why Harper had come down that summer, originally she hadn't planned too, but her Dad needed someone.   
They drove through town. Harper missed it. Sometimes, she wished that her parents had never gotten a divorce, that they had stayed in Kildare. Harper would have tried to surf every day, she’d run on the beach, she worked at some cafe. She’d go to Kildare High, and be friends with the poughs. But, that life wasn’t what she got. Instead, she got freezing New York winters, bustling streets, bright lights, so many people, and things to do. Instead of beach parties at the boneyard, she got parties at penthouses. She loved New York, but it was never home. People always had some grandiose things to say about the city. The city that never sleeps. That it’ll eat you, and spit you out. That the city is alive. New York will swallow you whole. You can be anyone there, a beautiful sense of anonymity. The city has a rapid pulse, fueled by caffeine and drama.  
The Outer Banks is a lazy breeze, a hot summer's day where you have no plans. The OBX wasn't sleepy but it wasn’t always awake. The banks wouldn’t swallow you whole, but a wave might. The Outer Banks to Harper was a sunset walk on the beach with someone you loved, flying a kite in the early morning sun, collecting seashells on a foggy morning. She loved all of it. She wanted all of it. Not even an hour in the Outer Banks and Harper didn’t want to ever go back to New York.   
Harper saw Kiara walk into The Wreck. She looked different. Her hair was longer, she was taller. She was still effortlessly beautiful. She turned around and looked at Shoupe’s car. Harper looked away.   
Harper hadn't seen Kie in years. They were sort of friends before, they would play mermaids at the pool, and went to a week-long summer science camp together. Pope had been there too, but they lowkey ignored him. They’d try and catch fireflies together and roast marshmallows. Harper wasn’t really friends with the other poughs, just Kie. She liked Pope well enough, and John B was fine too. She loathed JJ, but for silly reasons, she didn’t want to think about.   
Kiara wouldn't want to see Harper and Harper knew that.   
Shoupe pulled into their driveway. He grabbed Harper’s bag out of the trunk and they walked into the house. He lived in the same house that Harper had grown up in.   
Going to the same place every summer was strange. Nothing changed in the house, but Harper was always different. For one, she was taller. She had seen things differently when she was thirteen, she’d seen people differently then.   
Shoupe ordered pizza. Harper wasn’t going to eat it. They sat at the kitchen table and Harper wondered if she should tell him that she’s bisexual. She opted not too, it wasn’t like she was going to date anyone while she was there anyway. Not after everything.  
“Do you have everything you need for tomorrow?” Shoupe asked.  
Harper nodded. “Yeah, I got a black dress and shoes. Do you think it’d be weird if I wore black lipstick?”  
“Yes.”  
Harper frowned. She’d wear a tasteful purple lip then.   
“Your hair is….interesting.”  
Harper laughed. She had dyed her hair periwinkle a few months before, leaving the front two pieces bleached white. She thought it looked cool, her friends back home said she looked like an e-girl. But, Harper didn’t mind that.   
Shoupe went to bed, saying that he needed to get up early the next morning. Harper put on her running shoes and grabbed her phone. She’d go for a short run and then go to bed. She ran down the block, towards the beach. She just wanted to see it, feel the breeze on her skin.   
A jeep drove past her and then stopped.  
“Harper?” Topper called out.   
Harper ran up to the window. “Hey.”  
“I didn’t know you were coming this summer?” Topper asked. He stared at Harper and gave a small but arrogant smile.   
Harper had mixed feelings on Topper, he was nice enough, but could sometimes act a bit unhinged. Then again, it felt like most of the guys she knew on the OBX were slightly unhinged.   
“I came down for Peterkin’s funeral,” Harper said.  
“Her death is a real shame,” Topper said.   
“I can’t believe that John B killed her,” Harper said.  
Topper didn’t say anything. He scratched his ear. “Everythings pretty screwed up right now.”  
“I’m sorry about Sarah,” Harper said.  
Topper frowned. “Thanks.”  
Harper shifted from one foot to the other. She swatted away a mosquito that landed on her arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Topper said.  
Harper nodded. “See you then.”  
Topper drove away and Harper started running towards home. She got back a little before eleven. The kitchen light was on, Shoupe was sitting at the kitchen table. He jumped up when Harper walked in.  
“Where were you?” Shoupe asked.   
“I went for a run.”  
“In the middle of the night?”  
Harper shrugged and poured herself a glass of water. “It’s fine.”  
“It’s not fine! Harp, people have been dying left and right. You’ve got to be careful.”  
“People die all the time in New York,” Harper said.  
“It’s different and you know that,” Shoupe said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t go out running out alone at night. And, you’ve got to tell me where you’re going when you go out.”  
“Fine,” Harper sighed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”  
Shoupe closed his eyes. “I’m going back to bed.”  
“Night,” Harper said.   
Shoupe went back upstairs. Harper sipped her water. Her phone buzzed.  
Kie: Hey, did I see you today?  
Harper almost dropped her phone. She wiggled her thumbs, then texted back. Yeah.  
Harper waited a few moments and then Kie texted again.   
Kie: Are you here for Peterkin’s funeral?  
Harper: yeah, i’m here to help with my dad and stuff.  
Kie A lot of weird stuff has happened   
Harper: I bet, i’m sorry about your friend.  
Kie: John B didn’t kill Peterkin   
Harper froze. What was Kie talking about? Everyone knew John B killed Peterkin. There were witnesses, Harper’s dad was positive that’s what happened.   
What do you mean?  
Kie: He was framed. I’ll tell you more tomorrow.   
Harper: Ok.  
Kie: Its was good to see you again.  
Harper’s heart skipped a beat. Kie didn’t hate her. She didn’t care about what happened.   
Haper: You too.


	4. Home with the Heywards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pope helps JJ find a place to live.

Heyward had extended the hours of the market he owned, which meant that Pope had to work longer shifts. He had come back from John B’s memorial/funeral thing. Kie had to go help out at The Wreck. Pope wanted to swing by her place later that night and talk to her, but she’d probably tell him to go home. She never wanted to do anything anymore.  
Pope spent the next few hours helping a few customers and rereading The Hobbit, his fifty-third time reading it. Not that he was really counting, it was a comfort read for him. After finishing another chapter he put the book down and picked up Kildare Weekly. His internship was starting in two days. He had no idea what that would entail, Pope didn’t consider himself to be a writer.  
He loved to read, but he had been on the math team. He’d do well on papers, but he doubted he could pass as a journalist. But, after his scholarship fell through, he needed an internship, he needed something if he was going to go to college. Working at his dad’s shop, and shelving books at the library didn’t flesh out his resume the way he needed too. It wasn’t like he could write down that he’d found missing treasure anymore.  
There was an article about John B, and everything that had happened. It left out the gold, or that Ward killed Big John. No one knew that truth, and it was tearing Pope apart. Pope put the paper down.  
The door jingled and JJ walked in. The first thing that Pope noticed was that his eyes were red. Then, Pope’s looked JJ up and down for bruises. JJ said that he hadn’t seen his dad in months, he’d been avoiding him since JJ stole the keys to the boat that was now at the bottom of the ocean. The reality that JJ would at some point have to interact with his father again was looming over both of the boys, but they didn’t want to talk about that.  
“Hey Pope,” JJ said. He pulled his ratty baseball hat lower on his head. “John B’s mom is back in town.”  
Pope’s mouth dropped open. “Jane?”  
“Of course you’d know what his mom’s name is,” JJ said, rolling his eyes. “I can’t stay at the chateau anymore. I was wondering if I could crash with you till I figure out my next move.”  
Pope frowned. It’d be hard to convince his dad for JJ to stay with them, but Pope could probably manage it. “I’m almost ready to close up, and then we can head over.”  
“Great,” JJ smiled. He clapped his hands. “And, you gotta meet Mutt.”  
Pope didn’t want to know.  
-  
Mutt turned out to be a dog that looked like it was seconds away from keeling over and dying, but JJ loved the dog, and Pope didn’t feel the need to mention it.  
“Is it treated for fleas?” Pope asked.  
“No idea.”  
Pope scratched his head. “Where did you find this dog?”  
“At John B’s house,” JJ said. “I think it’s a sign.”  
Pope narrowed his brown eyes. “What is this dog John B reincarnated?”  
“No, of course not.” JJ shook his head and scooped up the dog in his arms. “It’s a sign that things are gonna be okay.”  
“Things are gonna be okay,” Pope said. That’s just how life went, John B died, and they all had to move on.  
“Or things could just get way fucking worse.”  
After a short argument about if JJ could bring in the dog, Pope was adamant that it wouldn’t go over well. JJ didn’t want to leave the dog outside, he also thought that it added to his character. JJ had the idea that bringing in the mutt meant that he could take care of a dog, and that meant that he was responsible.  
JJ tied the dog up outside, and the boys walked in.  
Heyward and Ingrid were watching the news in the quaint living room.  
Ingrid grinned when she saw them. “Hey, boys.”  
“How’d closing up the store go?” Heyward asked. “Anyone causing you trouble?”  
Pope tried to ignore the fact that Heyward looked to JJ when he said trouble. “Everything was fine. JJ stopped by.”  
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Heyward, how are y’all doing?” JJ asked.  
“I’m doing great, thank you JJ,” Ingrid said.  
“What do you want JJ?” Heyward asked. He narrowed his eyes at the overstuffed backpack JJ was holding.  
JJ had a nervous smile on his face. “Uh.”  
“I was wondering if JJ could stay here for a few nights?” Pope asked.  
Ingrid and Heyward exchanged a glance. Pope wished he was a mind reader. He didn’t want to say that JJ’s dad was abusive, at least not in front of JJ. But, that could be the difference of JJ being homeless or JJ staying with the Heywards.  
“I can work at the store, I promise I won't steal from the register,” JJ said. He started pacing the room. “I can be helpful! I can mow lawns, and I can- I can wash dishes. I can do stuff.”  
Heyward frowned. “Boys, I don’t know.”  
“JJ took the fall for me with Topper's boat,” Pope spat out. “He lied and said it was him to protect me. I owe him, okay?”  
“Pope,” JJ said, shaking his head.  
“Is that true?” Ingrid asked.  
JJ shrugged. Heyward sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
“Please,” Pope said.  
Heyward took a long breath. “Alright, on a trial basis. But, we have rules. No drugs, no alcohol, no girls, no stealing, no parties, no more messing with the kooks-”  
“Dad, the kooks mess with us,” Pope interrupted.  
“I don’t care,” Heyward said. “The cops don’t care either. Best behaviour, alright? That goes for both of you.”  
“Thank you so much, sir,” JJ said, a smile spreading over his tanned face.  
“We can set up the air mattress for you,” Ingrid said. “Come on, I’ll show you where it is.”  
JJ followed Mrs. Heyward upstairs. He turned back to give Pope two big thumbs up. Pope wasn’t sure if JJ would follow any of the rules.  
“He won’t do anything stupid, I promise,” Pope told his dad. Knowing full well that if JJ wanted to do something stupid, that he would, and there was no stopping him.  
Heyward nodded. “What’s up with his home life?”  
Pope sat down where Ingrid had been sitting. He chewed his lip. “His dad hurts him, JJ was staying at John B’s house but now his mom showed up and JJ can’t stay there anymore. He said he won’t be here that long, just till he figures things out.”  
“As long as he followed the rules, he can stay as long as he needs too,” Heyward said quietly.  
-  
Pope got a shower and got ready for bed. JJ was already knocked out. He’d taken out some food and water for the dog. Pope would have to convince him to take him to the animal shelter after the funeral.  
Pope’s room wasn’t that big, and he ended up stepping on the air mattress and falling on top of JJ. Popes hand landed on JJ’s naked chest, he could feel his heartbeat. Pope closed his eyes for a second.  
JJ groaned but didn’t open his eyes. Pope came back to his senses and got up. He crawled over to his bed. He tried to ignore the feelings he had just had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't know what Pope's mom's name was, so she's Ingrid now.


	5. mermaids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kie reflects on the past and see's an old friend.

After they got the news that John B and Sarah were dead, she started walking on the beach every morning. It cleared her head. She liked to walk in the surf and dodge the big waves before they came crashing down on her. She liked to watch the sunrise over the ocean.  
Some days she didn’t want to get out of bed. Some Days she didn’t want to see Pope or JJ and she wanted to scream about how the world was so unfair, that bad rich people got to get away with everything and good poor people had to take the blame, they had to suffer.  
The sea breeze calmed her. She closed her eyes, felt the sand underneath her toes. She didn’t want to go to Peterkin’s funeral, it was too real, too raw. No one knew the truth.  
Harper Shoupe coming back was a surprise, Kie was sure that she’d never see her old friend again. Kie had texted Harper the second she woke up, asking her if they could meet by the pier. Harper hadn’t responded, Kie went on her walk anyway.  
After the funeral, she had some free time and then she had to waitress at the wreck. The next morning she had art class, something her parents signed her up for after Sarah and John B. According to her parents she needed to “Let her emotions out.” Therapy didn’t do much for Kie, she had gone a few times, and decided that it wasn’t going to help her. Her parents told her that she needed to go for longer than that to see if it worked. Kie didn’t care.  
A seagull flew awful close to her head and she yelled at it.  
“Kie?” Harper asked.  
Kie spun around to see Harper standing before her. Harper’s blue hair was up in a messy bun. She was wearing a Columbia sweatshirt and black shorts.  
“Hey,” Kie smiled. “Thanks for coming.”  
“No problem,” Harper said.  
Kie beckoned for Harper to walk with her. They walked along the sea, Kie needed to make sure she said the right thing. After all, Harper was Shoupe's kid, she probably had heard a lot about the case already.  
Harper kept on glancing at Kie. The second Kie met her eye’s she looked away.  
“Are we just walking?” Harper asked.  
“I need to make sure I say it right,” Kie said. Then she told Harper everything that happened, Big John going missing, finding the boat, then the campus, the royal merchant, the crane house, and then Ward stealing it all and blaming everything on John B. She didn’t want to go in on how Peterkin died, knowing how close Harper had been with her. So, she just mentioned that Ward shot her and that he blamed John B.  
Harper stared at Kie with wide eyes. She looked to the sky and back to Kie again, her mouth opened and closed.  
“First of all, if all this shit is true, there were plenty of times you could have gone to the cops,” Harper said.  
Kie rolled her eyes, in her life cops had never helped with a situation.  
“But, I know why you didn’t want their help.” Harper ran a hand through her hair and started pacing the beach. “Ward sounds like a jackass.”  
“He is.”  
“And he’s just getting away with it?”  
Kie shrugged. The poughs hadn’t had much of a chance to figure out another plan. The gold, Sarah, and John B were all gone. What else was there to do? But, move on and try to live their lives.  
“He can’t get away with this,” Harper said.  
“He already has,” Kie countered.  
A silence fell over the girls. Kie watched a crab try to outrun the surf.  
“How are JJ and Pope?” Harper asked.  
“They're doing as good as they can be,” Kie replied. “Pope and I are dating.”  
Harper stumbled. “Oh.”  
Kie narrowed her eyes. “What?”  
Did Harper think they were a bad match? Kie really cared about Pope, they were best friends, they made sense with each other.  
“I just thought there was a no pough on pough rule,” Harper finally said.  
“Well, I had kissed John B and he had kissed me. We weren’t a thing though, and then Pope kissed me and then I kissed him back. So, the rule sorta died.”  
“Or does it only really exist for JJ?” Harper asked.  
Kie shrugged. Maybe it did.  
“And, how are you?” Harper asked.  
Kie looked down at the sand. “I’m fine.”  
Harper nodded twice but didn’t say anything.  
“I’m getting through,” Kie said. “  
Another silence, it was starting to get awkward.  
“Remember how we used to play mermaids?” Kie asked.  
Harper laughed. “How could I forget, Merdessa?”  
Kie shook her head, a grin on her face. Before Kie was really friends with the poughs she had Harper. They did everything together, having constant sleepovers, dreaming about how’d they go to college together and they’d be roommates. Harper always knew she wanted to be a journalist, Kie was never so sure, she thought they had their whole future’s to figure things out. They both took ukulele lessons together. Harper wasn’t good at it. They go to the Kildare Library and read book after book to each other. They loved the Emily Windsnap series and The Magic Treehouse one too. They’d gone to science camp and ended up conceiving Pope to help them free all the bugs that the science teacher had to show them. It had involved a huge spider crawling on Pope, which he did appreciate.  
Then Harper’s parents divorced and she moved to New York. She used to come down every summer, but it wasn’t the same. Kie had become a pough and Harper became a tourist.  
“I could never forget, Mermista.”  
Harper laughed so hard that she snorted, causing Kie to laugh harder. It felt like old times again.  
“Can I hug you?” Harper asked shyly.  
Kie froze. She would love a hug. “Yeah.”  
Harper wrapped her bony arms around Kie and hugged her tight. Kie rested her head on Harper's shoulder. She smelt like lavender and vanilla, with a touch of sunscreen and bug spray.  
“You’re not mad about-” Harper started.  
“It’s whatever,” Kie said. She didn’t want to go down that road, not right then. She had enough problems as it was.  
Harper's phone beeped. She pulled away from Kie to look.  
“Shit, I have to get back,” Harper said. “I’ll see you later! Okay?”  
Kie nodded. Harper gave a weak smile and raced up the beach.  
Kie started walking back to her house when she saw something shining in the sand. She took a few steps to get a closer look.  
It was a necklace.  
Specifically a silver S necklace.  
Just like the one that Sarah had.  
Kie tried to grab it but then a wave came crashing down and it was gone. She dug through the sand, thrashing around. It had to be somewhere.  
After five minutes Kie gave up. The necklace was gone, just like Sarah was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also I would love ideas on what to name JJ's dog lol


	6. update!

Hi sorry I haven't posted in a while! My depression has been super bad lately, but OBX being renewed for season two has given me a bit more inspiration. See you soon!


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